richter



H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-27,1916. RENEWED MAY 2. 1919.

1,347,403. Patented July 20, 1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET I,

H. F.. RICHTER.

v TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1916. RENEWED MAY 12. ms.

Patented July 20, 1920.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, I916- RENEWED MAY 12.1919,

1 47,403 Patented July 20, 1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET 3.

W nwmmhh f r E as .l

Wi Wm dHomMi H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 191s. RENEWED MAY 12,1919. 1,347,403.

Patented July 20, 1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4..

I s ave/M04; K HmFfizb/zfer H. F. RIGHT-ER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 1916. RENEWED MAY 12. 1919.

134-7303, Patented Ju1 '20, 1920;

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5- I 1 luucnloz- H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 1916. RENEWED MAY 1 2,1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET 6 Gum an H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPL| CAT|0\N FILED APR.27, 191 6 RENEWED MAY 12. 1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27,19I5- RENEWED MAY 12.1919- 1,347,403. I Patented July 20, 1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

: Fig.1

Hen-51118127? (07' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS F. RICHTER, 0F WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO B. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY, OF WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TOBACCO-STEMMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed April 27, 1916, Serial No. 93,952. Renewed May 12, 1919. Serial No. 296,535.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. HANs F. RICHTER, of

T'Vinston-Salem, in the county of Forsyth in construction, efficient in action, occupies little space, requires a minimum of power and necessitates the minimum of attendance.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is a plan view of the machine, portions being broken away to facilitate illustration. Fig. 2, is a front view of the machine, portions being broken away to facilitate illustration. Fig. 3, is a rear view of the machine, portions being broken away to facilitate illustration. Fig. 4:. is a view of one end of the machine, the same being the left hand end as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5, is a detail cross-section in the plane indicated by the line 5 5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6, is a cr0ss-section in the plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 3. Fig. 7, is a view of the end of the machine which is at the right hand in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 8 and 9. are detail sectional views of the wire clothing employed. Fig. 10. is a cross-section of a modified form of wire clothing. Fig. 11, is a diagram illustrating the cutting of the stem near the tip of the leaf. Figs. 12, 13,

. and 14, arediagrams illustrating the stemming action. Figs. 15. 16, and 17, are perspective views of the stemming instrumentalities and their cooperating adjuncts. Fig. 18. is a diagram of the stem gripping rolls. Fig. 19, is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco leaf. showing the relation of its stem to the action of the stem gripping rolls. v

The principle of the invention will be understood from Figs. 12, 13 and 14, of the drawings.

The stripping instrumentalities comprise a stem gripper consisting of a pair of rotating stem gripping rolls A and B, and a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of leaf carrying. grasping and retaining belts C and D, having yielding faces which cooperate to seize and carry along the leaves, the rolls being located alongside and at the rear of the belts.

The stem gripping rolls A and B, are j ournaled at their inner ends only (at the right in Fig. 12), and at their left hand ends they are separated from each other so as to provide an open entrance for the reception of the stems. The free ends of the stem gripping rolls are abruptly tapered to afford a. flaring entrance for the reception of the stems and, likewise, for the place where the rolls first come in contact with the stems they also taper toward the right so as to present a gradually diminishing space or gap between the rolls for the passage of the stems, this construction compensating for the gradually diminishing diameter of the stem from the butt to the tip of the leaf. As affording a guide to proper proportions, it has been found in practice that the rolls where nearest together are approximately one-one hundredth of an inch apart, and at the place where they first grip the leaves they are approximately one-tenth of an inch apart. The rolls are preferably roughsurfaced being milled on their peripheries.

Each of the conveyor belts C and D. is narrow and has a yielding leaf co-acting face. Preferably. each endless belt is of wire clothing made in a manner similar to that employed in the wire clothing used in carding engines. That is to say, each belt comprises a flexible base a, and flexible wire teeth 7), united thereto in the manner illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. The upper belt 0, is carried by drums E and F, one of which is a driven drum; and the lower belt D, is carried by-drums G and H, one of which is a driven drum. The two endless belts are causedto travel in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 12. The adjacent runs 0 and cl, of the two belts travel in the same direction, at the same speed and in close proximity to each other. In practice it is found desirable to have the adjacent runs of the two belts travel with the points of their respective wire teeth 6, just in contact.

As the two belts pass around the rolls E and G. at the feed end, a flaring entrance is provided for the reception of the tobacco leaves between the adjacent runs 0 and d, of the two conveyers. The feed end is that shown at the left in F 12. The meeting faces of the two runs 0 and d, of the belts are in the same plane as the space between the rolls A and B.

The surface speed of the stem gripping rolls A and B, is much greater than the speed of travel of the two belts G and l). A proper speed relation is that the surface speed of the stem gripping rolls at their greatest diameter is about six times the surface speed of the belts at the ends of their wire teeth. Proper dimensions for the stem' gripping rolls at their greatest diameter is one and one-fourth inches and the extreme length of the milled portion of each stem gripping roll is six and one-half inches. A proper width of each leaf conveyer belt is one and one-eighth inches, and the axes of the rolls E and F, (and of the rolls G and H) are properly fifteen inches apart. The belts are narrow as compared with their lengths thus reducing the area of wire teeth to a minimum. A proper working speed of each belt at the extremities of its wire teeth is four inches a second. The gripping rolls rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 12. The axes of the rolls A and B, should be parallel or substantiall parallel with the plane of travel of the conveyers. The mode of operation of the stripping instrumentalities will now be understood on reference to Figs. 12, 1?) and 1-1. The tobacco leaves require no preliminary straightening or removal of blade. To get the best results the leaves should first be rendered pliable by moistening in an ordering machine. Each bundle or hand of tobacco is untied and the leaves can be immediately fed in by hand, one ii'l'lmediately after the other, at the feed end of the conveyer with the butt ends of the leaves projecting beyond the conveyer at the side where the stem gripping rolls are located, as indicated in Fig. 13. The leaves are then gripped by the yielding faces of the adjacent'runs c and (Z, of the two belts and are iarried sidewise along elastically gripped by the belts until discharged at the dis chargeend where the two belts separate from each other in passing around the drums F and H, as indicated at the right in Fig. L2.

As the leaves are thus carried sidewise along their butt ,ends are carried into the flaring entrance between the left hand ends of the two stem gripping rolls A and B. The further advance of the conveyer brings the .btitt end of a stem into contact with the peripheries of the two stem gripping rolls, During the further advance of the conveyer the two gripping rolls act upon the engaged stem to feed it transversely to the direction of travel of the adjacent runs (5 and (Z. of the conveyer, the tapering space between the rolls A and B, sufficing to adequately grip the lessening thickness of the stems, as indicated in Figs. 18 and 19.

The yielding faces constituted by the wire teeth of the belts yield sufliciently to permit the entrance of the butt end of the stem between the runs 0 and (Z of the belts, while the remaining teeth at the sides of the stem come suiiieiently close together to grasp, hold and retain the blades or membranes of the leaves and prevent their being drawn with the stems from between the adjacent runs of the two belts.

The result is that by the time the leaves reach the right hand ends of the milled or roughened portions of the stem gripping rolls, the objectionable portion of the stem I is entirely stripped from the blades of the leaf, and no portion of the blade which is between the adjacent runs of the two belts or is at the front side of the conveyer (opposite where the stem gripping rolls are located) is pulled out with the stem.

As illustrated in Fig. 13, the major por-' tion of the blades of a leaf is retained at the front side of the conveyer (opposite to where the stem gripping rolls are located) atthe time the stem is completely withdrawn and stripped from the leaf- The ultimate result is that the stems are completely and cleanly withdrawn from the blades and are discharged free from the stem gripping rolls; while the stemmed blades or strip are carried along by the conveyor until discharged at the right hand (as shown in Fig. 12) where the runs 0 and (Z, of the conveyer separate from each other in passing around the drums F and H.

The attendant of the machine stands at the front side (opposite where the stem gripping rolls are located) where he has a full view of the condition of the leaves as they are being stripped. It occasionally happens that the stem of a leaf is in'olten, and in such case. while the portion of the stem between its butt and the break will be drawn out by the stem gripping rolls. the remainder of the stemremains in the leaf. A contingency of this sort is readily observed by the attendant and he can take hold of such a leaf and prevent it being discharged with the strip" and can return it by hand to the feed end of the conveyer for additional stripping.

No preliminary removal or limiting of the blade at the butt end of the leaf is necessary; but, obviously. it may be done if desired, in which case no part of the blade need be g 'asped between the wire teeth, the blades being held during the stemming ac tion by the teeth at the front of the belts. It is to be noted that the drawings illus trate the tobacco leaves conventionally. In practice the leaves. are treated in just the condition in which they are when untied, and no straightening of the leaves or flattening out of the blades is required.

Figs. 18 and 19, illustrate the action of the rolls A and B, on the leaf. In Fig. 19, the tapering character of a stem is illustrated; and in Fig. 18, the tapering gap between the rolls A and B. is illustrated. cessive'sizes of the stems are shown at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, in Fig. 18, and the location of the corresponding sizes of stems is indicated at 1", 2*, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, in Fig. 19. This is due to the fact that the leaves are fed transversely (to their own lengths) while the stems are removed longitudinally.

In the practical organization of a machine embodying the stripping instrumen talities consisting of the stem gripping rolls A and B, and the yielding faced leaf conveyers C and D, provision is made for driving the said rolls and conveyers at the appropriate relative surface speed; means are provided to maintain the active runs 0 and (Z, of the conveyers in correct relation to each other during the stemming operation; means are provided to prevent any unnecessary entrance of the blades between the coacting runs of the conveyers; means are provided for cutting off the stems before being completely withdrawn from the blades; and means are provided to facilitate the feeding of the leaves to the stripping mechanism and to gage the butts of the leaves so that the butt ends of the stems will be properly engaged by the stem gripping rolls. All of these features are illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, and Figs. 15, 16 and 17, of the drawings and will now be described.

Each of the stem gripping rolls A and B, has an elongated reduced shank 6, (shown in part in Fig. 17 and in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3) which is mounted to turn in an elongated bearing 7 (Figs. 1, 3 and Each of the spindles e, at its right hand (Fig. 3) end has a pinion 9 (Fig. 4). The two pinions g, are of the same diameter and geared together so that the two stem gripping rolls A and B, rotate in opposite directions at the same speed.

The two pinions g, are driven through intermediate gearing from a drive shaft I, carrying a driving pulley h. The drive shaft I, has a beveled pinion 2', (Figs. 1 and at) which meshes with a second beveled pinion on a stub shaft 70. This stub shaft 76, carries a gear Z, which meshes with the upper pinion as shown in Fig. 4. The gear Z, is larger than the gear 9, so that the two stem gripping rolls A and B, are rotated more rapidly than the drive shaft I.

The elongated bearing f. for the shanks e, of the rolls A and B, is designed to maintain the axes of the two rolls in parallelism. hen, however. several stems are being acted upon simultaneously by the stem grip- 1 bus ping rolls, as indicated in Fig. 13, a separating strain results, and in order to withstand this strain bearing rolls J and K, (Figs. 3, 6 and 17) are employed, the roll J, being above the roll A, and the roll K, being below the roll B. Each of these bearing rolls is an idle roll turning freely on a stub shaft m, (Fig. 17) and just out of contact with their respective rolls A and B, when no stemming is being done. When, however, a separating strain is brought upon the stem gripping rolls by reason of their engagement with several stems, the free and unsupported ends of the rolls A and B, are forced into contact with the bearing rolls J and K, which prevent any further separation of the rolls A and B, and maintain them in proper juxtaposition. It will be noted from Figs. 7 and 17, that the bracket L, which carries the thrust rolls J and K, is recessed at a, so as to provide a free space for the coned ends of the rolls A and B, and for the reception of the tobacco stems.

The driving drum H, of the lower belt D, is fast on a transverse shaft 0. This shaft has a large gear 1) (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:) which engages a small pinion g, on the drive shaft I, so that the shaft 0, rotates'more slowly than the shaft I. The shaft 0, also has fixed on it a gear 1, which meshes with a gear 8, of the same diameter which is loose on the shaft I. The gear 8, is secured to the driving drum F, of the upper conveyer belt 0. Accordingly, the two conveyer belts C and I), are driven at the same speed and with their adjacent runs traveling in the same direction. C wing to the relations between the gear Z, and the pinions q, and between the diameters of the drums F and H, and of the stem gripping rolls A and B, the desired surface speed relation between the stem gripper and the conveyer is obtained. The drums F and H. are fluted on their peripheries, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to more effectively grip the conveyer belts C and D. and insure their uniform travel.

The idle drums E and G, for the two conveyer belts respectively are flanged, as shown at u, in Figs. 1 and 7, so as to hold the belts in place and prevent their sliding off. The driving drums F and H. are not flanged so as to facilitate putting the belts in place and removing them when worn out.

During the stemming operation, the draft on the tobacco stems by the stem gripping rolls tends to draw the co-acting runs 0 and d, of the two conveyer belts rearwardly (that is toward the stem gripping rolls) and to prevent rearward displacement of said runs of the conveyer, a fixed vertical guard having two separated branches M, is employed. This guard is shown separately in Fig. 16, and is shown in crosssection in Figs. 5 and 6. It extends parallel with the rolls A and B, and with the travel of the conveyors (.l and D. In case any undue transverse strain is brought upon theco-acting runs 0 and (Z, of the leaf con veyer, they will be stopped by the respective branches of the guard as will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 5 and 6. The gap 1), between the branches M, of the guard is of suliicient height to permit the free passage of the stems.

The co-acting wire faces of the runs 0 and (Z, of the two leaf conveyer belts should be maintained in proper relation during the stemming. The strain involved during the stemming tends to separate the runs (2 and (Z, from each other. Accordingly, two fixed horizontal guards N and O, are provided, as shown best in Figs. 5, (l and 15. The upper guard N, is above the run 0, and the lower horizontal lengthwise extending guard O, is below the run (Z. Accordingly, the leaf conveyor belts are maintained in operative relation to each other and to the stem gripping rolls during the stemming action.

It is desirable that the blades of the leaves should be kept away from the wire teeth of the leaf conveyer during the stemming ac-, tion as much as practicable. Accordingly two vertical lengthwise extending fixed blade shields P and Q, are employed as shown in Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 15. The shield P. extends downwardly in front of the upper run 0, of the upper belt; and the shield extends-upwardly in front of the run (Z, of of the lower leaf belt. A gap is left between the blade shields P and Q, so as to provide ample room for the passage of the stems and without any stripping action until the 7 wire teeth are reached. As shown in Fig. 2, these blade shields P and Q, extend to the left beyond the discharge end of the two belts C and D, so that the strip is rest 'ained from being caught and carried around and back of the belts. The strip is ultimately discharged beyond the blade shields P and Q, through the open gag 1/, between them.

A portion of the stem near the tip end of the leaf is not objectionable and it is permissible to leave it in the strip so as to retain all of the usable part of the leaf. Accordingly, a knife is provided to cut off the stem near the tip end of the leaf. As shown in Figs. 11. and 16, the gap 4), between the two branches M, of the vertical longitudi nally extending guard to prevent backward movement of the leaf conveyer terminates in a sharp edge R, which constitutes a stem cutting knife. This is so located with respect to the stem gripper and the travel of the leaf conveyer that a leaf will be advanced by the conveyer to the knife before the stem is entirely pulled out by the stem gripper. The stem is then held taut by the stem gripper and by the leaf conveyer so that as the leaf conveyer travels onwardly it carries the stem against the blade ll, and cuts it off. Hence the portion of the stem which has not yet reached the blade R, left unstripped and as part of the strip? The stems which are discharged by the stem gripping rolls fall on to an inclined chute S,'(Fig. l) which leads them to any proper receiver.

The feed of the leaves to the leaf conveyer may be entirely by hand. It facilitates the worlr of the attendant, however, to have a feed table upon which he can distribute the leaves before they enter between the conveyer belts. An endless traveling feed table is indicated at T, in Figs. 1, 2, 3, a, '7 and i", only aportion of the length and width of this conveyer being illustrated so as to fa cilitate showing the mechanism on a large scale. The upper leaf receiving run of this feed table travels at substantially the same speed and in the same direction as the coacting runs of the leaf conveyer. This feed table at the discharge end of the achiire extends around a driving drum U, (Fig. l.) which is fast on the shaft 0. At the feed end of the machine the feed table passe' around an idle tension drum V, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This idle drum V is journaled in open bearings on swinging adjustable arms lV, which are adjustable as illustrated so as to maintain the traveling feed table taut and which can be slaclr nod for the purpose of changing feed tables.

The feed table T, extends any desired distance to the right (Fig; 1) beyond the entrance between the leaf conveyer belts to provide a sullicient surface to enable the attendant to place on the'feed table all of the leaves in an usual bundle or hand of tobacco. The table should be wide enough to support the leaves placed thereon, a width of about twelve inches being adequate for Burley tobacco. The feed table then carries the leaves along and presentsthem to the entrance to the leaf conveyer. The upper face of the run ofthe leafreceiving table is just below the adjacent faces of the co-acting and conveying runs of the two leaf conveyer belts. The traveling feed table extends along in front of the leaf conveyer and supports the blade portions of the leaves throughout the entire stemming operation and until they pass beyond the feeding action of the leaf conveyer.

It is important that the butt ends of the stems should he so presented to the stripping mechanism that they will be effectively seized by the stem gripping rolls. :rccordingly, a butt gage X, back of the food table, is employed. This gage X, is shown a fixed vertically and longitudinally extending gage plate. It extendsparallel with the rear edge of the feed table. Its vertical face is in a plane just back of the butt entrance to the stem gripping rolls. Asshown in Fig. 2, the gage X, extends vertically from a plane below the leaf receiving run of the feed table to a plane above it. When the attendant places leaves upon the feed table he slides them baclnvardly until their butts contact with the vertical forward .face of the gage X. This insures the butts being in proper position to be engaged by the stem gripping rolls when they are advanced thereto first by the feed table alone and finally by the leaf conveyer.

The machine is illustrated with the wire teeth of the conveyer belts inclining rearwardly with respect to the travel of the blades as illustratedinFigs. l. and 8. Fig.

10 illustrates a permissible modification in which the teeth are shown as inclining-sidewise, and toward the rear of the belt, that is toward the stem gripper. V

It-will be noted that it is a characteristic of the present invention that the leaves are transported sidewise by a traveling conveyer which yieldingly holds and retains the blades of the leaves while the stems are caught by a stem gripper which pulls out the stems as the blades are being carried alongby the conveyer, the direction of pull of the stem gripper being at an angle to the direction in which the conveyer transports the leaves. I

Another important characteristic of the invention is that the leaf conveyer is continuously traveling when the machine is in action and the stem gripping rolls are likewise continuously rotating so that the leaves can be fed sidewise in a continuous and uninterrupted stream to the conveyer and the stem gripping rolls are maintained in a definite. position alongside the conveyer where they are always ready .to seize the stems and pull them out from the sidewise traveling blades.

As is obvious from the dimensions stated the machine is small and compact. The

'machine can be run with a minimum attendance.

I claim- I l. A tobacco stemming machine having a pair of endless traveling leaf holding conveyerbelts, each belt having a yielding face consisting of wire teeth, and the coacting runs of the two belts traveling in a straight path with the ends of their teeth in close proximity, in combination with a pair of stem gripping rough surfaced rolls extending parallel with and alongside the active runs of the leaf conveying belts, said rolls having tapering ends at the feed end of the machine, and the space between said rolls gradually diminishing toward the discharge end of the machine and being in the same plane as the meeting faces of the belts, and mechanism for driving the belts and the rolls at different surface speeds, the surface speed of the rolls being much than that ofthe belts.

2. A-tobacco stemming machine having a pair of endless traveling leaf holding belts, each belt having a yielding face consisting of wire teeth, and the co-acting runs of the belts holding and retaining the blades of the leaves during the stemming action, in combination with stem gripping rolls which pull the stems from the blades of the leaves as the latter are carried along by the conveying belts.

3. A tobacco stemming machine having a.- pair of endless traveling leaf holding belts, each belt having a yielding face consisting of wire teeth, and the co-acting runs of the belts retaining the blades of the leaves as they are carried sidewise along during the stemming action, in combination with meansfor gripping the stems and pulling them out from the blades of the leaves as the latter are carried along by the belts.

4. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination a traveling leaf holding conveyer; stem gripping rolls which pull the stems fromthe leaves as they are held and transported sidewise by said conveyer; and

greater a fixed knife located between the conveyer and the rolls and adapted to cut the stems near the tips of the leaves as the leaves are advanced by the conveyer and while the stems are pulled by the rolls.

5. A tobacco stemming machine having iii-combination, a traveling leaf holding conveyer; stem gripping rolls which pull the stems from the leaves as they are held and transported sidewise by said conveyer; and a knife located between the conveyer and the rolls and adapted to cut the stems near the tips of the leaves as the leaves are advanced by the conveyer and while the stems are pulled by the rolls.

6. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a traveling leaf holding conveyer; a stem gripper which pulls the stems from the leaves as they are held and transported by said conveyer; and a knife located between the conveyer and the stem gripper and adapted to cut the stems near the tips of the leaves as the leaves are advanced by the conveyer and while the stems are pulled by the gripper.

7. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a leaf conveyer; stem gripping rolls, each journaled at one end only, the gap between the rolls being open at the feed end of the machine; and thrust rolls,

I one for each stem gripping roll, the free in from of the conveyer which prevents the bulk as the leaves from being drawn into contact with the conveyer by the pull of the rolls.

11. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a leaf conveyer; a stem gripper back of the conveyer; andia shield in front of the conveyer which prevents the bulk of the leaves from being drawn into contact with the conveyer by the pull of the gripper.

12. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, leaf holding belts which carry the leaves sidewise, said belts having yielding faces; stem ripping rolls which pull the stems from the leaves as they are advanced by the belts; and a fixed guard between the belts and the rolls to prevent the belts from being diverted by the pull of the rolls.

. 13.v A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a leaf holding conveyer which carries the leaves sidewise; stem gripping rolls which pull the stems from the leaves as they are advanced'bythe conveyer; and a fixed guard between the conveyer and the rolls to prevent the c'onveyer from being diverted by the pull of the rolls. r

14:. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a leaf holding conveyer which carries the leaves; a stern gripper which pulls the stems from the leaves as they are advanced by the conveyer; and a guard between the conveyer'and the gripp'erto prevent the conveyer from being diverted by the pull of the gripper. r V

15.; A tobacco stemming machine having a pair of endless traveling leaf belts with yielding blade holding, and retaining faces, in combination with stem gripping rolls backof said belts adapted to pull thestems at right angles to the direction of travel of theb elts and the leaves held thereby, and a traveling feed table in front of the belts and extending to the discharge end of the belts said table traveling at the same speed as the belts,

16. A tobacco stemming machinehaving a' continuously traveling leaf which yieldingly grasps the bases of the leaves, in combination with continuously rotating stem gripping rolls which pull the conveyer' stems from the blades of the leaves while the latter are retained and carried along by the conveyer, said rolls always maintaining a definite position alongside the conveyer.

17. A tobacco stemming machine having a continuously traveling leaf conveyer which yieldingly g'asps the bases of the leaves, in combination with continuously rotating stem gripping rolls which pull the stems from the blades of the leaves while the latter are retained and carried along by the conveyer.

18. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrumentalities a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of endless traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer belts, and a pair of stem gripping rolls parallel with, alongside and close to the active runs of said belts, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the active adjacent runs of the belts grasping the bases of.

the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the'rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves, each beltrhaving a yielding grasping face consisting of wire teeth and the adjacent active runs of the two belts traveling in a straight path with the ends of their teeth in closeproximity, and the stem gripping rolls having rough surfaces and being tapered at the feed end of the machine with the space between the rolls gradually diminishing toward the discharge endof the machine and being alongside the meeting faces of the belts, in combination with means to prevent the separation-ofthe active runs of the two belt from each other consisting of guards on opposite sides of said active runs, mechanism for driving the belts and the rolls at different surface speeds, the surface speed of the rolls being much greater than that of the belts, and a fixed guard between the conveyer and the rolls to prevent the c onveyer froin being diverted by the pull of the rolls.

19. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrnmentalities a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of endless traveling leaf holding and grasping convey er belts and a pair of stem gripping rolls parallel with, alongside and close to the active runs of said belts, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the active adjacent runs ofvthe belts grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveving the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls'pull the stems from the leaves, each belt having a yielding grasping face consisting of wire teeth and the adjacent active runs of, the two belts traveling in a straight path with the ends of theirteeth in close proximity, and the stem gripping rollshaving rough surfaces and 'being'taperedv at the feed endof the machine with the space between the rolls gradually diminishing toward tne discharge end of the machine and being alongside the meeting faces of the belts. in combination with means to prevent the separation of the active runs of the two belts from each other consisting of guards on opposite sides said active runs, and

mechanism for driving the belts and the wise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves, each belt having a yielding grasping face consisting 0t wire teeth and the ad acent active runs of the two belts traveling in a straight path with the ends. of their teeth in-close proximity, and the stcmgripping rolls having rough surfaces an d being tapered at the feed end of the ma-,.

chine with the space between the rolls gradually diminishing toward the discharge end of the machine and being alongside the meeting faces of the belts, in combination with mechanism for driving the belts and the rolls at different surface speeds, the surface speed of the rolls being much greater than that of the belts.

21. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrumentalities a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of endless traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer belts and a pair of stem gripping rolls alongside and close to the active runs of said belts, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the active runs of the belts grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves, each belt having a yielding grasping face consisting of wire teeth and the adjacent active runs of the two belts traveling in a straight path with the ends of their teeth in close proximity, and the stem gripping rolls having rough surfaces and being tapered at the feed end of the machine with the space between the rolls gradually diminishing toward the discharge end of the machine and being alongside the meeting faces of the belts.

22. A tobacco stemming machine having as stemming instrumentalities a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of endless traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer belts and a pair of stem gripping. rolls alongside and close to the active runs of said ielts, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the active runs of the belts grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves LGHgtlI'WlSQ of the rolls as the l'OllS pulrthe stems from the leaves, each belt having a' yielding grasping face consisting of wire teeth and the adjacent active runs of the two belts traveling in a straight path with the ends of their teeth in close proximity.

23. A tobacco stemming machine llilllilg as its stemming instrmnentalities a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of endless traveling leaf holding and 'rasping conveyer belts and a pair of stem ripping rolls alongside and close to the active runs of said belts, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the active runs of the belts grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves, each belt having a yielding grasping face and the adjacent active runs of the two belts traveling with their grasping faces in close proximity.

24:. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrinnentalities a leaf conveyer consisting of a pair of endless traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer belts and a pair of stem gripping rolls close to and alongside the active runs of said belts, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the active runs of the belts grasping the bases of the leaves close to the grip ping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves.

25. A. tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrumentalities a traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer and a pair of stem gripping rolls close to and alongside the conveyer, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the conveyer yieldingly grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves.

26. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrumentalities a traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer, and a pair of stem gripping rolls, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the con- ,veyer yieldingly grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves.

27. A tobacco stemming machine having as its sole stemming instrumentalities a traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer and a pair of stem gripping rolls, said rolls gripping the butt endsof the stems and the conveyer grasping the leaves and conveying them lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves.

28. A tobacco stemming machine having as its sole stemming instrnmentalities a traveling leaf holding and grasping con veyer and a pair of stem gripping rolls, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the conveyer grasping the leaves and conveying them lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves, in combination with mechanism for driving the conveyer and the rolls at different surface speeds, the surface speed. of the rolls being much greater than that of the conveyer.

29. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrumentalities a traveling leaf holding and grasping conveyer and a pair of stem gripping rolls close to and alongside the conveyer said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the conveyer grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from' the leaves, the stem gripping rolls having rough surfaces and being tapered at the feed end of the machine With the space between the rolls gradually diminishing toward the discharge end of the machine.

30. A tobacco stemming machine having as its stemming instrumentalities a traveling leat' holding and grasping conveyer and a pair of rough surfaced stem gripping rolls close to and alongside the conveyer, said rolls gripping the butt ends of the stems and the conveyer grasping the bases of the leaves close to the gripping rolls and conveying the leaves lengthwise of the rolls as the rolls pull the stems from the leaves.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

fHANS F. RICHTER. 

